Why do so many women lift such light weights?

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  • Lola7791
    Lola7791 Posts: 85 Member
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    For me it's lack of knowledge and uncomfortable in the "men's" area. I'm not one of the hot chicks they wanna see there.
  • Joreanasaurous
    Joreanasaurous Posts: 1,384 Member
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    I was recently told by a man I was talking to at Starbucks that I shouldn't do squats because they will make me look like a man.

    I have had tonnes of fitness instructors when I used to take classes tell me that I needed to lift lite and do high reps so I won't get bulky.

    There is just so much information out there when it comes to women and weight lifting unfortunately.
  • RaggedyPond
    RaggedyPond Posts: 1,487 Member
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    For me it's lack of knowledge and uncomfortable in the "men's" area. I'm not one of the hot chicks they wanna see there.

    I'm sure they are happy to have any woman there. :)
  • RaggedyPond
    RaggedyPond Posts: 1,487 Member
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    I read somewhere a while back that:

    People are intimidated by the weight areas because of the good looking bodies. But there is a reason why the good looking bodies are there and not on a cardio machine.
  • rollng_thundr
    rollng_thundr Posts: 634 Member
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    Everyone starts somewhere. I started with 5lbs. I don't care who watches me at the gym. My philosophy is that if you are too busy watching what other people are doing at the gym then you're not working out hard enough,

    Werd....
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    Ignorance and misinformation.

    ETA: I often have women come up to me in the gym and say, "Wow, you're so strong! I could never do that." It reminds me of the women who say, "Wow, you're so skinny! I wish I was as lucky as you." They just don't know what they are capable of with a little work. It's not luck, it's not magic, it's not a shake or a pill. It's attitude, effort and perseverance.
  • rollng_thundr
    rollng_thundr Posts: 634 Member
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    For me it's lack of knowledge and uncomfortable in the "men's" area. I'm not one of the hot chicks they wanna see there.

    Just curious, but were you ever told this? I wanna see a woman challenge herself in whatever capacity she is capable. I don't care if you are 5'3" and 200 lbs... or 6' and 230#, if you are there trying to better yourself, then you can work out right next to me, or any other "guy" for that matter. And if a guy gives you a look, then you are paying too much attention to your surroundings and not the reason you are there...

    Get in there, work out like a beast.. and one day you'll be that woman that doesn't care what other guys in the gym think.
  • ModernNerd
    ModernNerd Posts: 336 Member
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    I lifted heavy once. Now look at me... *pokes massive she-hulk biceps sadly* *lumbers away*
  • Lola7791
    Lola7791 Posts: 85 Member
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    For me it's lack of knowledge and uncomfortable in the "men's" area. I'm not one of the hot chicks they wanna see there.

    Just curious, but were you ever told this? I wanna see a woman challenge herself in whatever capacity she is capable. I don't care if you are 5'3" and 200 lbs... or 6' and 230#, if you are there trying to better yourself, then you can work out right next to me, or any other "guy" for that matter. And if a guy gives you a look, then you are paying too much attention to your surroundings and not the reason you are there...

    Get in there, work out like a beast.. and one day you'll be that woman that doesn't care what other guys in the gym think.

    Thanks!! I have a lot to learn!!
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    BTW, there are a few the female personal trainers at my gym and sorry to say they are bulky. There is no other word for it and I can understand that not everyone wants to look like that. And no, they don't pump steroids and what not into their bodies they work hard for their muscle. So to say that all women won't get bulky by weight lifting is wrong.

    Bulky women don't happen by accident...it was purposeful and I suspect if you saw those trainers out on the street not right after they were lifting they wouldn't look like that...

    We have a few girls in town that compete and when they are working out they are "pumped" but in the street they are slim and trim.
  • hoyalawya2003
    hoyalawya2003 Posts: 631 Member
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    I was recently told by a man I was talking to at Starbucks that I shouldn't do squats because they will make me look like a man.

    I have had tonnes of fitness instructors when I used to take classes tell me that I needed to lift lite and do high reps so I won't get bulky.

    There is just so much information out there when it comes to women and weight lifting unfortunately.

    This is so true. A lot of these responses show the misinformation. I just started doing a "power" class that does barbells and weights. After class an older lady told me I used too heavy a weight for the shoulder exercises (I was struggling at the end--trying to challenge myself and would rather fail the last reps rather than it be too easy). She told me I was going to damage my rotator cuff lifting so heavy--I was using a 5 lb weight. :noway: I would hate for her to see my pick up my 50+ lb four year old, or wrestle with a 1000 lb Thoroughbred. Although instead of insulted, I thought, ooh, I finally have experienced the unwanted advice at the gym I keep reading about on MFP :laugh:

    eta: typo fix
  • Joreanasaurous
    Joreanasaurous Posts: 1,384 Member
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    For me it's lack of knowledge and uncomfortable in the "men's" area. I'm not one of the hot chicks they wanna see there.

    Just curious, but were you ever told this? I wanna see a woman challenge herself in whatever capacity she is capable. I don't care if you are 5'3" and 200 lbs... or 6' and 230#, if you are there trying to better yourself, then you can work out right next to me, or any other "guy" for that matter. And if a guy gives you a look, then you are paying too much attention to your surroundings and not the reason you are there...

    Get in there, work out like a beast.. and one day you'll be that woman that doesn't care what other guys in the gym think.

    I have to say I have more than a few times been next to a guy doing the same lift as me but 10x the weight I was. Even then I never felt judged. If we made eye contact we would smile briefly then go back to our own lifting and grunting.
  • Platform_Heels
    Platform_Heels Posts: 388 Member
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    Heavy means a lot of different things to many different people. I lift heavy for me but someone else might see what I lift and think it's not. Also when I work certain muscle groups, like shoulders, with some of the exercises I'm using 5-10lbs and that is heavy for me.

    Some days I prefer to up the reps and drop the amount of pounds I'm lifting to switch it up a bit.

    Also the women that you see there lifting light could be new to lifting so to them it is heavy. Or someone could be nursing an injury. Or they just don't like lifting but heard that they "should" do it so they grab light weight and just do whatever.
  • craftywitch_63
    craftywitch_63 Posts: 829 Member
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    Traditionally women weren't (and somtimes still aren't) encouraged to lift heavy. Most women don't know where to start or with how much weight to start. Also, women tend to need to start with lighter weights and increase gradually (women aren't as strong as men - it's the whole testosterone thing, remember?)
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    Traditionally women weren't (and somtimes still aren't) encouraged to lift heavy. Most women don't know where to start or with how much weight to start. Also, women tend to need to start with lighter weights and increase gradually (women aren't as strong as men - it's the whole testosterone thing, remember?)


    um no.

    Everyone needs to start with light weights and increase gradually. that is not a gender specific requirement for progressive lifting.
  • random_user75
    random_user75 Posts: 157 Member
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    If you see me doing bicep curls with 15lbs weights, that's me maxing out. I can usually do about 8 reps before swapping to 12lbs then about 20 more reps before going down to 10lbs. That's my version of lifting heavy...

    I don't do pull ups with a 75lbs assist because I'm scared of muscles. I do it because I can't pull even half my weight.

    Thanks for noticing :grumble:

    I am right there with you. I'm just starting out, and, if I have to start at the Barbie end of the weight spectrum, so be it. I'll just keep at it. Then I'll Hulk out.
  • mschicagocubs
    mschicagocubs Posts: 774 Member
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    Agree with a lot of comments already made, but I've always been a little baffled by this ...

    I played high school sports ( basketball and softball ) now I'm 26 so I've only been removed from high school for 8 years, but when we were in athletics at my high school we were required to be a part of a weight lifting program.

    I had to learn to bench press, use free weights, incline. Sure we didn't do dead lifts and some of the more "men" oriented moves, but I still knew how to use dumbells and barbells.

    I would assume that a lot of high schools had this type of structure. So it baffles me that there are so many women that don't know even how to do some dumbell exercises.

    Now, I get not everyone plays sports, but I would think in High School more than 50% participated in some kind of sports. Maybe my high school was just really intense ..... lol
  • random_user75
    random_user75 Posts: 157 Member
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    The trainers in most gyms don't help.

    I had to stipulate very strongly (at least 3 times) that I wanted to be shown how to use the barbell - otherwise I would have just got hit with the usual round of the machines 2x15 plus 20 min each on each cardio machine.

    Yet, a very overweight/unhealthy male will automatically qualify to be shown Olympic cleans etc on a first visit without asking :/

    So very true. I'm planning my conversation for my next consultation (I like to check in for form). Fewer reps plus heavier weights? Can we not combine lifts for which I could use a much heavier weight on one part and much lighter on the other? I just need to get off my butt and check out NROLW or SS or something.
  • Platform_Heels
    Platform_Heels Posts: 388 Member
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    Agree with a lot of comments already made, but I've always been a little baffled by this ...

    I played high school sports ( basketball and softball ) now I'm 26 so I've only been removed from high school for 8 years, but when we were in athletics at my high school we were required to be a part of a weight lifting program.

    I had to learn to bench press, use free weights, incline. Sure we didn't do dead lifts and some of the more "men" oriented moves, but I still knew how to use dumbells and barbells.

    I would assume that a lot of high schools had this type of structure. So it baffles me that there are so many women that don't know even how to do some dumbell exercises.

    Now, I get not everyone plays sports, but I would think in High School more than 50% participated in some kind of sports. Maybe my high school was just really intense ..... lol

    I was never in sports in school and I highly doubt that more than 50% of the people that I went to school with participated in any sort of sport.

    We had only one day during gym class where we were shown the weight room and how to use the equipment.
  • MireyGal76
    MireyGal76 Posts: 7,334 Member
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    If you see me doing bicep curls with 15lbs weights, that's me maxing out. I can usually do about 8 reps before swapping to 12lbs then about 20 more reps before going down to 10lbs. That's my version of lifting heavy...

    I don't do pull ups with a 75lbs assist because I'm scared of muscles. I do it because I can't pull even half my weight.

    Thanks for noticing :grumble:

    So you do 8 reps at 15, 20+ reps at 12 and then even more at 10?

    Why not just do as many as you can at 15lbs? When I lift, I find I prefer lifting so that I can push out 10, 8, and 6 reps. Sometimes I am able to do a few more, sometimes a few less.

    But if I get to the point where it's easy to do more than 10... I'm adding weight the next time around.

    I don't have a lot of free time though. I can't afford to spend hours doing a million reps when, I can get er done much quicker with heavier weights.

    ETA: I'd probably lift even heavier, and do even LESS reps, but I'm working out at home and am always conscious of the fact that I don't have a spotter.

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